READING IS FUNDAMENTAL LAUNCHES SECOND ANNUAL NATIONWIDE READING ENGAGEMENT INITIATIVE "RALLY TO READ 100"

It's Back! Celebrate reading for six months straight with sweepstakes, monthly themes, reading activities, classroom kits, and read-alouds from bestselling authors. 

WASHINGTON, Oct. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), the nation's leading champion for children's literacy, announced today the launch of the second annual Rally to Read 100 (RallytoRead.org)—a six-month initiative that runs from October 1, 2022, to March 31, 2023, designed to motivate children to read, starting with a pledge to read 100 books. 

Building on the success of last year's event, in which nearly 300,000 books were pledged, RIF will once again unite classrooms and communities across the country with a reading initiative anchored on monthly themes and supported with a diverse lineup of author read-alouds. There will also be a book collection sweepstakes, a variety of engaging reading activities for the home and school (some of which are in Spanish), plus a live virtual event hosted at Barnes & Noble's flagship store – New York City's Union Square – on Read Across America Day, March 2, 2023.  All of the free literacy resources and activities are available at RallytoRead.org.

After reading scores for America's 9-year-olds saw their largest decline in 30 years during the pandemic, according to the U.S. Education Department's National Center for Education Statistics, RIF is working to reinvigorate educators, students and families alike with an interest in reading. The 2022-2023 Rally to Read 100 program kicks off with a special welcome video from a New York Times best-selling author and is supported by Inspiration Partners: Barnes & Noble (B&N), Macy's, and Nellie Mae Education Foundation. 

Over the course of this six-month campaign, more than 20 read-alouds from contributing publishing partners and specially selected Barnes & Noble Storytime Picks will be shared from notable and diverse authors and illustrators, including Emily Calandrelli ("Reach for the Stars"), Rio Cortez ("The ABCs of Black History"), Trudy Ludwig ("Brave Every Day"), Peter H. Reynolds ("Our Table"), Chad and Dad Richardson ("Family Union") and Hudson Talbott ("A Walk in the Words"). For elementary school classrooms and libraries, RIF is bringing back the Rally to Read book sweepstakes, giving away 10,000 diverse books in which elementary school educators have the chance to win 100 high-quality books for their school or youth-serving organization. 

"Literacy is a critical element not only for our students' educational development and success, but to our understanding of the world around us and ourselves. Through Rally to Read, we are creating fun ways for children to discover the eye-opening experiences that reading different stories from a variety of perspectives can provide," said Reading Is Fundamental President and CEO Alicia Levi. "We were thrilled by the response that last year's initiative garnered. And thanks to partners including Barnes & Noble (B&N), Macy's and Nellie Mae Education Foundation, as well as impressive storytellers and advocates that are joining us this year, we are proud to continue this important effort."

"Barnes & Noble is honored to partner with Reading Is Fundamental, an organization that shares in our mission to serve our communities through a love of literature," said Jackie DeLeo, Chief Merchandising Officer at Barnes & Noble. "Reading is such a powerful tool for success at any age. We are thrilled to be joining forces with RIF's Rally to Read 100 initiative to bring the excitement of reading to classrooms across the country to encourage and inspire young readers."

"Macy's social purpose platform, Mission Every One, aims to create a brighter future with bold representation for all. Reading Is Fundamental plays a critical role in empowering youth to create a brighter future by working towards a more literate America," said Sam Di Scipio, Senior Director, Corporate Communications, Giving & Volunteerism at Macy's. "We are proud to partner with RIF on Rally to Read 100, an initiative that inspires and empowers millions of children across our country."

RALLY TO READ 100 PROGRAM ELEMENTS: 

• Pledge to Read 100 Books: Participants can pledge to read 100 books over six months and receive engaging content and book recommendations to support this goal. 
• Book Sweepstakes: 100 randomly selected eligible schools will each win 100 specially-curated diverse books donated by Barnes & Noble to enhance their school's library and classrooms.
• Monthly-Themed Events: Each month features topics ranging from diversity and innovation to wellness and community with activities for fun, engaging time spent exploring books; companion activities; and over 20 video-recorded read-alouds by noteworthy authors. 

Featured read-alouds and B&N Storytime Picks include:

• October (Community)   Thelma Lynne Godin, Author of The Hula Hoopin Queen
                                       Naaz Khan, Author of Room for Everyone
• November (Family)      Dad Richardson, Author of Family Reunion
                                      Peter H. Reynolds, Author of Our Table
• December (Diversity)  Hudson Talbott, Author and Illustrator of A Walk in the Words
                                      Nilah Magruder, Author and Illustrator of Wutaryoo (Read by B&N's Bookseller June Oakley)
• January (Wellness)     Trudy Ludwig, Author of Brave Every Day
                                     Suzanne Lang, Author of Grumpy Monkey
• February (Celebration) Rio Cortez, Author of The ABCs of Black History
                                       Marianne Richmond, Author of Hooray for You
• March (Innovation)       Emily Calandrelli, Author of Reach for the Stars
                                       Kobi Yamada, Author of What do you do with an Idea?
                                       (*A full list is available at RallytoRead.org)
• Complementary Reading Activities: Classroom and at-home resources are available for educators and families to use for continued reading engagement throughout the program, any time.  
• Rally to Read 100 Classroom Program Kits: Includes posters, bookmarks, reading logs (from B&N), stickers (from International Paper), pencils (from Macy's), and tattoos (from Oriental Trading Company) for the first 1,000 educators to request.

READ ACROSS AMERICA DAY CELEBRATION EVENT: 

The nationwide, online event will be simulcasted from Barnes & Noble's store in New York City's Union Square on March 2, 2023 with a high-profile host and guests (to be announced) and live streamed to homes and classrooms across the country.

Reading Is Fundamental is proud to recognize the generous support of its partners:  Inspiration Partners include Barnes & Noble, Macy's and Nellie Mae Education Foundation; and Promotional Partners include Barefoot Books, International Paper, Lee & Low Books, Little Free Library, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, National PTA, Oriental Trading Company, Penguin Random House, Reading Partners, Tilbury House Publishers, and Workman Publishing.

Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) is committed to a literate America by inspiring a passion for reading among all children, providing quality content to create impact, and engaging communities in the solution to give every child the fundamentals for success.  As the nation's largest nonprofit organization for children's literacy, RIF has provided more than 422 million books to over 129 million kids in all 50 states, inspiring generations to read, learn and grow. Learn more at www.RIF.org.

SOURCE Reading Is Fundamental